Once darkness settled and the group set up camp, Sam found himself unable to sleep. Though he shared his tent with Jerry and Kyle, he still felt unsafe. Only a piece of canvas stood between him and all the weird and threatening noises out there. He jumped every time he heard something close by, whether it was a croak or the innocent sounds of bugs.

He wasn't sure Kyle and Jerry were sleeping. Actually, from all the fidgeting coming from Jerry's corner of the tent, Sam could tell he was just as awake and as scared as he was. But even so, he couldn't open his mouth to speak.

Morning found him with his eyes wide open and stinging from the lack of sleep. Over breakfast, he could see that the others looked just as tired except for Kyle and the guides.

Over the course of the day, as they continued their expedition, Sam found himself dreading the darkness and having to try and sleep again. He could see it on Jerry's face that he felt the same. But night did come and Sam was once again cuddled in his sleeping bag, trying to block out the sounds from outside. The burning campfire reflected on the tent's canvas and he could see Carlos, the plump guide's silhouette as he sat slouched, his hat over his face, a rifle in his lap.

How could the man sleep outside? Sam decided to ask, so he crawled out of the covers and sneaked out. Carlos indeed seemed to be sleeping, but at the sound of the crunching dead leaves under Sam's boots, he raised his sombrero with his thumb.

"What is wrong, señor Sam?"

Sam looked on the ground to find a safe place to sit, then sat in front of the guide. "I can't sleep with all the noise."

"What noise?"

"This." A frog croaked and something seemed to be yelling further away.

Carlos gave a low chuckle. "That isn't noise, señor, that is nature. It shouldn't scare you."

Sam wanted to argue that he wasn't scared, but he didn't see the point in lying. "It does. I keep thinking about everything out there that could kill us."

"Most animals are harmless. For instance, that screaming, grunting noise we hear now – monkeys. Most of the croaking – frogs. Even if you hear the distant roar of a jaguar, it will not attack a large group of people, especially if there is a fire going. Even the snakes and spiders don't attack unprovoked."

"Yeah, you have a point." Sam did feel a bit better.

"Now, knowing nothing will hurt you, listen."

Sam tilted his head, but focused his attention on the choir of noises. After a while, they didn't sound threatening anymore. "They're quite relaxing, actually."

"Yes. It is hard for me to stay awake at night in the jungle. The noise puts me to sleep." Carlos laughed and Sam smiled at him, feeling much better. And once he crawled back to bed, he let the sounds of the jungle lull him to sleep.

The following morning, well rested and with a clear head, Sam started enjoying their trek through the luxurious vegetation.

Carlos and his assistant, Pedro, proved to be a live encyclopedia of Mexican traditions and legends, and Sam could spend hours listening to them. They enjoyed talking to him, too, since they could speak Spanish to him. Sam rarely had to ask them to translate anything. The two Mexicans especially enjoyed scary stories, the most frequently recurring one being 'The valley of the dead'.

"Gente no se mueren. They come back as ghosts. Algunos trficantes han construido una choza hay y las fantasmas... how you Gringos say it, haunt the place." Carlos waved his arms dramatically.

"Yeah Carlos, suuure." Sam nodded.

"Do we really have to listen to stories about people dying?" Jerry asked, rummaging inside his rucksack.

Even if there had been no sign of Snitch Gravel since they'd entered the jungle, Jerry was still jumpy and nervous most of the time. He didn't seem to accommodate to jungle life at all, still tossing and turning before finally falling asleep at the break of dawn.

Sam, on the other hand, loved the routine of setting and gathering up camp, the isolation, constantly changing landscape and the promise that they'd find the temples soon.

Days passed in a blur, and the entire universe reduced to greenish light, the smell of rain and the sounds of wildlife. And then there was Christine. It wasn't easy to dodge Jerry, Tina and the professor, so Sam was extra glad of the few seconds when he managed to plant a kiss on her cheek or hug her. And what mattered most was that she seemed to enjoy it.

*

"Ah, hell no!" Herrison didn't sound the least bit happy.

Sam let go of Christine's hand and rushed forward. Everyone had stopped at the entrance of a huge clearing. Someone had cut the vegetation to make room for what seemed like a lot of people. An army. Snitch Gravel's army. Sam tried to swallow the tight knot in his throat.

Kyle darted into the open and circled the clearing as though searching for something. The others stepped out of the shade of the trees as well. All traces of laughter and lightheartedness disappeared.

Sam reached the middle of the clearing and did a pirouette to take in the surroundings while the others remained in the shade of the trees. He felt like a complete idiot. Of course Snitch Gravel wasn't following them. He was way ahead of them.

"We could've been killed without knowing where they came from," he mumbled.

Kyle came up to him. "How the hell is that army marching through this vegetation so fast?" His voice was more like a growl.

Sam ran his hands through his hair and heaved a sigh. He wished he had an answer to Kyle's question. Gun barrels flashed in front of his eyes like Vegas slots.

"We can still avoid them," Herrison said, marching towards them. "He might not be going in the right direction."

"Really?" Kyle's voice dripped sarcasm. "And what makes you say that? Who set or travel path?"

Herrison's face scrunched in confusion. "Carlos and Pedro."

"That's right. Half of Snitch Gravel's gang is probably made up of locals looking to make a buck. Or smugglers who call this jungle their home." Kyle waved Herrison away as if he were a toddler hassling him for candy. "This is obviously not working. Time for plan B."

"Plan B?" Sam asked. He'd never seen Kyle so annoyed or this focused before.

"Yes. Target practice, fighting lessons, trap design for camp protection," Kyle said, counting on his fingers.

"You don't fool around at school, do you?" Sam asked, taken aback. "You're right. We should get on it right away. Why didn't you mention any of this sooner?"

Kyle shrugged. "I thought this whole mission would be a hit and run. Unfortunately, we have to take it seriously."

Sam clenched his fists. He thought they were taking it serious, but Kyle was right. This wasn't a race anymore. And he'd be damned if he ran away screaming in the face of danger. "Herrison, get me a map of the region."

"Let's not rush." Herrison checked his watch. "Damn this poor coordination," he mumbled.

"Oh, no!" Jerry marched towards them. "He's right!" He pointed at Kyle. "What are we waiting for?"

"Backup," Herrison answered, still staring at his watch. "You all know I've gathered up a team."

Sam didn't know. "You mean that wasn't a lie?"

"No, of course not."

"Where is the rest of the team, then?" Jerry asked, his hands on his hips.

Herrison shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know."

"What a surprise." Jerry's voice leaked venom. "By God, you're the crappiest operation leader I've ever seen."

Herrison scowled. "We're rusty, I know. It's been years since we last had any field operations. We were supposed to wait for the others at the inn, but Snitch Gravel drove us out, remember? This is not my fault."

"Really?" Jerry yelled. "Then whose is it?"

"Knock it off, Jerry. This isn't helping," Sam said. "What backup and when will they arrive?"

"I have no idea in what order they were supposed to arrive. I'm guessing Tom and Jimmy should show up soon. They were supposed to be—"

"Wait a minute. Order?" Kyle narrowed his eyes. "They're not sending everyone in at once?"

Something seemed to snap in Sam's head and his whole body tensed. He couldn't remember ever being this angry. "Are you freaking kidding me? We're this close to getting killed and you feel like playing games and see how long we can stand up to Snitch Gravel in small numbers?" He knew he shouldn't raise his voice. He didn't want to worry the girls and the professor, but he couldn't help it.

"This wasn't my call, okay?" Herrison sounded angry too. "Stop blaming everything on me."

"You're the grownup!" Jerry said. "You're supposed to be the competent one."

Herrison sighed. "Okay, I can see how you're a little frustrated—"

"A little?" Jerry shrieked. "A little? That crazed man wants to kill us! How will two more people help? And I bet they're not even adults."

Herrison rubbed his chin, a grimace on his face. "Jimmy's your age and Tom is Sam's age. But that doesn't mean they won't be—"

"Are there any adults on this team?"

Herrison bit his lip. "Define adult."

Jerry groaned and turned his back to Herrison. His whole body tensed and he remained rooted to the spot. Sam glanced over his shoulder, his heart hammering, expecting to see a group of armed men. Something even weirder awaited him. It was as if someone had put a mirror there. Two people stared back at him and Jerry – two people identical to them.

"You finally got here." Herrison marched past Sam and Jerry. "What took you so long?"

The two didn't answer. Sam didn't even have to ask which was which. Jimmy was Jerry. And Tom...He rubbed his eyes, but his exact, sunglasses-wearing replica was still there.

Jerry's mirror image turned his attention to Herrison and they started talking. Sam couldn't hear any of it. How was it possible that Herrison acted as if this was normal? Unless he knew. Of course he knew, he recruited them. But how and why?

"Oh, my. Hotness," Alice whispered from behind.

"No way!" Tom dropped his rucksack and stalked forward, stopping less than a foot away from Sam.

Nope, they still looked identical.

"How...?" Jerry turned to Sam, his voice trembling.

"Who the hell are you two?" Kyle asked and everyone fell quiet.

Jimmy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, I have no freakin' idea."

"These are Tom and Jimmy." Herrison pointed from one to the other. "They're the backup I've mentioned earlier. They also brought more equipment with them."

"In case you haven't noticed, they look exactly like us," Jerry said. He sounded more hysterical than Sam had ever heard him.

Herrison shrugged. "Coincidences happen."

"Coincidences?" Sam and Tom asked at the same time. Tom mumbled something about thumping Herrison upside the head. Sam bit his lip, trying not to laugh. He had a feeling he and Tom would get along.

*

Herrison stuck to his coincidence theory. Sam, Jerry, Tom and Jimmy spent hours discussing possible reasons why they would look alike. Except for the obvious one. Sam had ached to ask if they might be twin brothers, but Jimmy and Tom expertly avoided the subject. And Sam had to admit that it was hard to imagine his parents giving them away. Even if it were true, he wanted to think about it even less. So, coincidence it was.

He liked Tom and Jimmy a lot. They were fun, smart and imaginative. And, as an added bonus, Jimmy and Kyle got along great. It was weird to see them laughing together when Kyle and Jerry only laughed at each other. Come to think about it, it was pretty weird to see Kyle laughing without any sarcasm involved.

"Why aren't Jerry and Kyle talking?" Tom asked as if reading Sam's mind. Which, with all the weirdness, might not be impossible.

"Big fight." Sam sighed. "Stubborn and proud, both of them."

"I couldn't stand not talking to Jimmy. After all, he's my only brother. We're family."

"We're supposed to be family too," Sam said. Don't get depressed.

Tom put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed in encouragement.

Sam half-smiled, then frowned. "Why are you still wearing the sunglasses? It's been dark for hours."

"Oh, I thought we'd get to that." Tom grinned. "I have photosensitive epilepsy."

Sam's jaw dropped. "Really?"

"No. he doesn't." Jimmy dropped on Sam's other side and aimed a hit at Tom. "He says it to everyone so they'd get off his case, but you deserve the truth. He's just weird that way."

"I'm not weird. I just don't feel right without them. I feel...naked."

Jimmy laughed. "You can't lie without them's more like it."

Tom stuck his tongue out at him. "You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to be unable to lie properly. And you're one to talk, weirdo!"

Jimmy raised his eyebrows. "How am I weird?"

Tom leaned over Sam, shoved his hand in one of Jimmy's pockets, and pulled out a screwdriver. "His luggage is half-filled with tools too," he said to Sam as though explaining how his relative was completely insane.

"You'll thank me for them later." Jimmy yanked the screwdriver out of Tom's hand and returned it to the pocket of his cargos.

"You're both weird," Sam said.

Tom grinned. "It runs in the family."

Weirdness ran in their family, too. Maybe there wasn't a single family in the world who wasn't weird in some way. Sam observed Jimmy and Tom. They both seemed so relaxed, so laid back, as if they hadn't been lied to and pushed into a fight for survival.

"You guys don't mind the study camp lie, do you?"

Tom frowned. "What study camp lie?"

Sam did a double take. "Wait, how did Herrison get you here?"

"He told us about the mission and we said 'okay, cool, we're in'."

"So you knew about the agency, about everything?"

"We didn't know about Snitch Gravel," Jimmy answered. "But apart from that, yeah, he apparently told us the truth. Anyway, as far as I can tell, that's kinda your thing."

"My thing?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"I mean your family's thing. And I'm really sorry about that." Jimmy put his index finger to his chin and looked upwards. It was so weird to see someone else with Jerry's exact eye color. "I do realize that he's going to try and kill everybody, though."

"This makes us death brothers," Tom said excitedly.

Sam turned to him torn between the impulse to laugh and be freaked out. Tom smiled at him as though knowing exactly the effects of his words and took off his sunglasses to wipe them on his t-shirt. Sam stared at him curiously, expecting his own eyes to stare back, but when Tom raised his gaze, Sam fought a shudder.

Tom's eyes weren't the same color as his. They were green, but had blue specs in them. It wasn't the slightly different color however that startled Sam, but what was behind them. A swirl of emotions, every dark impulse that Sam had ever fought, every demon he ever had swirled inside Tom's eyes, right there for him to see and face. And Tom seemed to accept the darkness, embrace his demons and be everything Sam was not.

A weird feeling caught hold of Sam as he realized the other him in his dreams was Tom. But how could he dream about Tom for years when he'd only just met him. He can't be my twin brother. My parents would never give him away.

Tom put his sunglasses back on and the coincidence theory once again seemed plausible. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just rude and stare at people." Sam looked away from Tom. "I belong among inanimate objects."

Tom smiled. "You belong among people who get you. Like me and Jimmy. And Jerry and Kyle."

"You think Jerry and Kyle get me?"

"Of course they do. You're just too self-absorbed to see it."

"Gee thanks."

Tom laughed. "I'm rude and tell the truth to your face. But Jimmy gets me."

Sam couldn't suppress a smile. "I get you, too."

And... brick in the face. What do you think about Tom and Jimmy? Who are they? What are they doing there? Can Herrison be trusted? Will anyone have their kidneys removed and sold on the black market?

I know this chapter is still iffy, so I'm open to all suggestions for improvement.

Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to vote and comment!